Kim Crow to take on world's best

Unbeaten world champion Kim Crow is on a mission to prove she can handle the pressure of being a superstar on the water, declaring she's "still trying to work out how fast I can go".

Crow faces the toughest test of her 12-month winning run when she competes at the Sydney World Cup regatta next week, taking on Olympic gold medal champion Mirka Knapkova and New Zealand rower Emma Twigg.

Crow's 2013 was flawless, winning the single scull world title in September, two World Cup regattas, named the best female athlete at the World Rowing Awards in Estonia and claiming the AIS athlete of the year prize.

Crow, who works as a lawyer and trains in Canberra, wants Olympic Games gold at Rio in 2016 and is determined to continue her remarkable form.

Kim Crow juggles her sporting talents with work at a Canberra law firm. Photo: Melissa Adams

But unfazed by the expectation and pressure of being rated the world's best, the relaxed dual Olympic medal winner says her journey has just started.

"I guess there is pressure at a home World Cup. But I've got to get used to that," Crow said.

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"If I want to win a gold medal at the Olympics, there will be a hell of a lot of pressure there.

"I'm accepting of that. I know I have to do my best and that's all I can ask of myself.

"This is a really good way to test this training block ... to see if we're on track or if we need to change some things. At this stage I'm still trying to work out how fast I can go."

Crow was Australia's best-performed rower at the London Games, winning bronze in the single scull and silver in the double scull with Goulburn's Brooke Pratley.

But the two-time Olympian has risen to a new level, winning all of her races last year before a whirlwind season of success took its toll and Crow took an extended break from competition.

She hasn't raced since winning the world title in South Korea in September, instead choosing to juggle 15 hours of lawyer work and more than 35 hours of training in Canberra.

The 28-year-old also managed a persistent back injury last year, leading to a modified training program which includes more time on an exercise bike.

Crow beat veteran Knapkova at the world championships, but admits she faces the unknown in their Sydney re-match after six months without a race.

"Sometimes you get that burn the first time you race and I'm prepared for it to be a shock to the system, but I know I'm in good shape," Crow said.

"I really enjoy racing. It's fun and it makes training easier knowing I get to race.

"This year I've had a really great training block. I've barely been sick, I haven't been injured ... I may not have races under my belt and the excitement that it brings, but it's good to know I've done the work."

Crow was a junior athletics star before she was put through the talent identification program and switched to rowing. She juggles her office duties with hours on Lake Burley Griffin.

Coach Lyall McCarthy said Crow's outstanding 2013 was just the start of her rise to the top.

"The thing about Kim is she will push herself through amazing barriers that other people would baulk at," McCarthy said.

"She can race with an empty mind. It can be a lonely place [in the single sculls], it tests your mental capacity. But we've got a good understanding of what buttons not to press.

"I don't know any man or woman that could have done what Kim did in London. Her work ethic is fantastic, if it's not right she'll get it right, it's a business-like project.''